Matakana is a rural locality in western New South Wales, Australia. It is situated just off the Kidman Way, 78 kilometres north of Hillston and 177 kilometres south of Cobar. The small settlement of Mount Hope is located 17 kilometres to the north on the Kidman Way.
Matakana is on the route of the Broken Hill railway line, between the Euabalong West and Ivanhoe stations. Matakana was once a siding on the railway line. A short branch line connecting Matakana to Mount Hope was opened in February 1919 and closed after five years. A small rural community settled in the vicinity of the Matakana siding during its operation.
In August 1901 there was a report of a âÂÂsmall gold rushâ near Matakana, nine miles south of Mount Hope, after the discovery of a reef where âÂÂgold can be seen in the stoneâÂÂ. The discovery by prospectors Eldridge and Grogan caused a flurry of excitement at Mount Hope where âÂÂthe Warden's clerk has been kept busy issuing miner's rightsâÂÂ.
The Matakana to Mount Hope single-track branch railway line was opened in February 1919.
In early July 1924 the train service between Matakana and Mount Hope was discontinued âÂÂbecause of the paucity of businessâÂÂ; there had been âÂÂso little hope of a mining revival in the district that the whole of the mining machinery at Mount Hope was dismantled and removedâÂÂ.
In July 1929 âÂÂa site near the railway line at Matakanaâ was selected as the location of âÂÂan experimental farm within the area to serve prospective settlersâÂÂ. The selection of the site was a part of the âÂÂpreliminary investigationsâ by E. S. Clayton (Chief Experimentalist of the Department of Agriculture) âÂÂfor the projected settlement of a large area of the south-western mallee lands in N.S.W.â . The area was expected to âÂÂbe devoted chiefly to wheatgrowing, with a probable subsequent extension to sheepâÂÂ. The water supply, "in addition to boresâÂÂ, was proposed to be drawn from Wyangala dam. In August 1930 Matakana was described as âÂÂthe proposed Mallee wheatgrowing settlementâÂÂ.
In October 1941 âÂÂnew trucking yardsâ were completed at Matakana and it was expected that âÂÂpersons trucking stock there will find a great improvementâÂÂ.
In July 1952 a description was published of an overnight camp at Matakana, described as âÂÂthat unexpected railway line break in the midst of miles and miles of thick high malleeâÂÂ. Trains passed along the track during the night: âÂÂon a westward bound goods train we counted 54 trucks in the bright moonlightâÂÂ.
In December 1957 five separate bush fires âÂÂwere raging out of controlâ between Condobolin and Hillston. The main Western railway line was cut and tracks destroyed. Fires around Euabalong and Mount Hope were âÂÂburning on a 100-mile frontâÂÂ. A fire âÂÂthreatened to engulfâ the âÂÂvillage of Matakanaâ and âÂÂ20 women and children were driven through an arch of flames to escape the fireâ and provided with accommodation at nearby Mount Hope. Fire fighters âÂÂmanaged to divert the flamesâ around Matakana.
Matakana is surrounded by two extensive nature reserves, Nombinnie to the south-west and Round Hill to the east. The reserves comprise a large area of plain and ridge country, and together with the Yathong Nature Reserve (north-west of Mount Hope), the area protects the largest remaining contiguous stand of mallee in NSW and supports a rich diversity of flora and fauna, including many rare and endangered species.